Discussions of open-source vs. proprietary software unfortunately tend to devolve “into attacks on one approach or the other, often characterized as FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt),” Rickard says. “One example is the incorrect statement that open source licenses mean you can’t own any software you produce that interacts with open source. Another is the false assertion that open source software is by nature less (or more) secure.”

Rickard says organizations should consider five key issues when making a choice between open source and proprietary solutions:

1. Freedom
“The most critical question of your software is: Does it help me do the job that needs to be done? Good software enables people to perform better. It provides the freedom to extend the software, either via APIs or open source code, and to own the rights to use those extensions,” Rickard says.

2. Commitment
“Open source software frequently runs on community contributions such as money, time, or expertise,” notes Rickard. “You need to factor this aspect of open source into your software decisions. Do you have the resources to devote to supporting the software? If not, is your goal to encourage adding the needed resources within your organization? For example, a 1,000-person organization may need to dedicate three full-time employees to supporting an open source application.”

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